The History of Stone Wool
The History of Stone Wool
In this article, the history of stone wool is discussed. Stone wool was first produced in the 1850s and was commercially used for the first time in 1871 in Eschwege, Germany. It was registered in the United States in 1875 and introduced to the community. Its industrial production began when Charles Hall was able to produce it in fiber form.
According to the history of stone wool, until 1950, it had no competitors in construction, but gradually new products came into the market, and the variety of thermal and acoustic insulation products increased. Keep in mind that the emergence of new products could not remove stone wool from competition.
The Initial Origin of Stone Wool
Stone wool was a type of wool with a fibrous structure. The history of stone wool says its natural type was first discovered in the Mauna Loa volcanic area. Mauna Loa, which is written in English as Mauna Loa, is located in the state of Utah in the United States.
Mauna Loa is one of the 5 volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands and is the largest submarine volcano that has surfaced. The volcanic eruptions of this volcano have lasted at least seven hundred thousand years. Alkaline basalt rocks, as a result of underground activities of this volcano, gradually emerged from the sea. Mauna Loa is still an active volcano.
The Role of Charles Hall in the Stone Wool Industry
Mineral wool insulation was first produced in England and the United States for pipe insulation. Stone wool was produced by a chemical engineer named Hall in 1897 and its commercial production began in 1901. Hall became known as the father of the stone wool industry, and the reason for this naming is the efforts Hall made to study and produce stone wool. His efforts, along with his university education and very efficient work experience, led to his success. The result of his research was such that Charles was able to become prominent in the history of stone wool.
Brief Introduction of the Father of the Stone Wool Industry
Charles Gordon Hall was born in 1860 in Massachusetts, USA, and died in 1935 at the age of 75 in Indiana. He was a chemist and entered the field of industry and trade through his science. With his knowledge and work experience, he was able to lay the foundations for a profitable and useful industry for future generations.
When Hall embarked on the path of stone wool production, he had a background in various steel industries with various positions. In fact, he had at least 10 years of experience until he was assigned a mission to go to Alexandria for a study on gas resources as a suitable fuel source with a view to establishing a steel plant in Alexandria. Hall's mission to Alexandria was successful and led to the establishment of a steel plant in Alexandria. This led Hall and his family to move to Alexandria in 1895.
During another mission in 1897, he went to Pittsburgh. Here, he became involved in stone wool, and his studies on stone wool began on this trip. Hall saw that mineral wool was made from steel slag, but he realized that this product did not react well to moisture and quickly deteriorated. This mission marked the start of a new and global idea and business.
From Idea to Stone Wool Business
During a business trip to Pittsburgh, Hall thought that limestone, which was abundant in Alexandria, could be used to produce stone wool. This idea led Hall to set up an abandoned workshop from the Alexandria plant to conduct his research on the properties of stone based on his chemical knowledge.
During this research, Hall found that Alexandria limestone had a melting point similar to glass. He was able to obtain stone fibers through a series of explosions that were similar to sheep wool and also similar to mineral wool fibers. During these experiments, he found that these fibers did not contain sulfur, which was the factor causing the deterioration of mineral wool. This discovery led to the elimination of the weakness of mineral wool that was used at that time. In addition, he realized that the fibers were an excellent insulator against high temperatures.
The result of these experiments led Hall, with the presence of an investor in 1897, to start his own factory in Alexandria. The production of stone wool started from this point as a result of Hall's research, and he himself visited various centers to introduce and sell the products of his factory. The history of stone wool insulation began with mass production from this point.
Overall, the history of stone wool production raw materials comprises basalt stone and slag. Basalt stone is abundantly found as a result of volcanic eruption, and slag is a by-product of the steel and copper industries. Therefore, stone wool is a mineral fiber and for this reason is considered a type of mineral wool. The raw materials for stone wool production are heated to high temperatures and then transformed into fiber strands.
We mentioned that stone wool and mineral wool are considered equivalent, but there is a slight difference. The raw materials for mineral wool are residues of mineral materials, while the raw materials for stone wool production are also basalt stone. Additionally, when compared, stone wool has a higher price and higher quality than mineral wool.
In summary, stone wool is a good heat insulator and is also considered a suitable sound insulator. The thermal insulation properties of stone wool are so high that it is among the best fire-resistant materials. If you need more up-to-date and practical information about stone wool, you can visit our website and benefit from our services.